Black Falcon: The Next Chapter
by tracylay
Summary: SEQUEL TO BLACK FALCON. Verena Blake, AKA Black Falcon, is back. It's been half a year since the Light came into the light (excuse the pun), but the Justice League and Team haven't made any progress at all. With senior year and college just around the corner, new enemies, and teammates coming and going, what's a girl to do? Dick Grayson/Robin x Verena Blake/Black Falcon (OC)
1. Green Lantern

**A/N:** THIS IS IT GUYS. LOVEBIRDS IS BACK. I don't really have much to say, except that this will mainly follow comic plotlines, and focus a _lot_ on friendships. Don't worry. There will _still_ be Lovebirds moments, but what's a story if it ONLY focuses on TWO characters when there are LOTS of awesome characters for the two main ones to bond with? ;) Without further ado, here's it is.**  
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**ASUNCIÓN  
****JUNE 24, 2011  
****03:24 PYT**

I peeked through the glass window of the ceiling, careful not to be spotted. I activated the infrared of my mask and scanned the area below me.

No lasers; alright then.

I scanned the window to see if there were any alarms attached to it.

There were, so I pulled out a small pocket knife that was deadly enough, but it was only used to cut through glass. Just before the glass fell, I caught it swiftly, pulling it up with ease and setting it to the side.

I jumped down, my hair flying behind me and caught the arm of a large, twenty-foot tall statue and swung myself around its arm before hiding behind its head just as a security guard walked by. I held onto the top of its head tightly, careful not to fall.

When the security guard disappeared down the hallway of the museum, I let go, landing on my toes to not make a noise, bending my knes in the progress. I lowered my heels gently, and proceeded to walk through the museum, going for my target.

I heard footsteps as I walked down the hallways and launched myself up to the ceiling, grabbing onto another statue. The security guard walked past me, oblivious of my presence. I looked down at him through my mask, and he continued to walk up and down the hallway.

Really, now?

After his fifth run up and down the hallway, he _finally_ left. I waited a few more seconds before heading off. I found my destination: the ancient artifacts room.

I scanned the room for any abnormalities and found what I was looking for. The floor was tiled by small black and white squares, but there was a specific combination to step on certain squares.

I walked forward in front of an artifact. I stepped on the combination I had deciphered, and a few seconds later, a secret passage opened beside the artifact.

Bingo.

I entered the room before the passageway closed. When it did, it was pitch black.

I activated the night-vision in my mask and continued to walk down the stairs.

Batman had sent me on this mission alone, because… well, let's face it: The Team is _so_ not the ideal covert ops team. Plus, they were on another mission with details that were undisclosed to me because I left before Batman gave the assignment.

I soon saw lights as I approached the end of the stairs and hid quietly against the wall to avoid any detection.

A man in a lab coat walked past me, and that got my curiosity running. A lab coat? What were they doing down here?

I looked around for any cameras and noticed one a few feet away. Thankfully, the boxes I was hiding behind covered me. I pulled out my gun, taking out an EMP bullet. I found a perfect location to shoot the EMP and when I did, I fired without hesitation.

I skirted off quietly, still pressing myself against the walls and crates to avoid detection. Where was the computer?

I dropped onto all fours when I saw someone coming and began to crawl, hoping to avoid being spotted. It didn't help that this place was freaking bright and I was wearing pure black and dark blue.

As I was crawling though, something caught my eye and I froze.

The Jerusalem cricket, commonly known as the potato bug, crawled closer and closer to me. I ignored the shiver up my spine caused by the disgust of the gross creature. I grabbed my gun and whacked it away from me, right into the floor of the laboratory.

I heard a scientist shriek in shock as the creature of terror crawled around and used the chaos as an advantage.

I grinned to myself as I stood up, though still crouched lowly, and ran off, finding a computer.

I quickly found one and hooked it up to the monitor before dropping to my stomach to avoid any detection. Thank God they had so many boxes around here.

I hacked through the systems easily. There was no challenge at all.

I accessed all of their files with ease and once all of the file downloading was done, I unplugged my USB.

Great.

Now to get out of here without being detected.

"Intruder!" someone called and I froze. There was _no_ way I was spotted. I peeked up and saw the scientists running around, before a green light shot from the entrance.

Wait.

I recognized that green light.

Green Lantern?

I peeked out and indeed, there was a Green Lantern standing at the entrance, with a cocky smile on his face that reminded me of someone…

I observed him quietly. He was definitely a Green Lantern. The symbol on his chest and the ring on his finger said it all. But he had black hair that framed his strong cheekbones and he wore a mask.

The only Green Lantern I knew that wore a mask was Hal, but Hal had _brown_ hair.

I noticed someone coming from behind Green Lantern and quickly pulled out a gun. I didn't know who he was, but I was pretty sure he was on my side.

… Hopefully.

If he wasn't, at least I had some experience fighting a Green Lantern.

I shot at the enemy that went after Green Lantern, and the attacker pulled back. Green Lantern also stopped in his attacks, and he looked at me.

"Hey! I was looking for you!" he exclaimed.

I blinked. "Pardon?" I inquired.

"Another intruder!" the scientists exclaimed, pushing a button. Why they didn't do that earlier, I will never know.

The room took up a red tint as an alarm flashed loudly. Crap. I hope nothing exploded.

Green Lantern ran towards me and grabbed my hand. "Let's go!" he called, pulling me through a different door, further into the laboratory we were in.

"Do you even know where you're going?" I exclaimed through all of the chaos. It was so loud I had to scream.

"Nope!" Green Lantern replied, beaming at me. A gear turned in my head, as I somewhat recognized that smile. I've seen it before… I tried to match a face to that smile, but I just couldn't.

I huffed and pulled back my hand, summoning up a map of the area I had downloaded. I scanned the blueprints quickly, trying to find the most efficient exit.

"This way," I said after a few seconds, taking off to the right.

"Wait up!" I heard before I heard a sound and the next thing I knew, Green Lantern was flying beside me as I ran.

I heard guns being launched and jumped quickly out of the way, swinging myself from the ceiling. I kicked down a door as I flew through it, never missing a beat.

"You're pretty good at this," Green Lantern commented, flying beside me.

"Years of practice," I replied easily. I jumped over a set of crates, before spotting the entrance to the stairs I was looking for.

I pushed open the door, running up the stairs as quickly as I could. "Do you think you can destroy the lower steps?" I asked, grabbing onto the railing as I turned so I wouldn't fall at my speed.

The Green Lantern by my side gave me a smirk before he blasted the lower steps, effectively disconnecting them from the railing. Good. Good. "Stay behind here until I give you the signal," I ordered.

I hoped he listened to me.

I pushed a door open as I reached the top of the staircase, and found myself inside the museum again. At once, I found around ten guns pointed at my face, cocked and ready to fire.

"Crap," I muttered, before raising my arms in defense. "GL?"

A green light shot out from behind me, knocking all of the security guards to the side. Green Lantern rejoined me by my side and he looked down at me. "How'd you know there were people waiting?"

"How _wouldn't_ someone know?" I responded back.

I heard some shouting and multiple footsteps as shadows got larger and larger. Back-up was coming. _Grreeaat_.

I turned around so quickly, if I was someone else, I would've twisted my ankle. I darted off, with Green Lantern flying behind me. I ended up in the room I had entered from and looked at the guardian.

"Give me a boost?" I asked, pointing upwards.

Green Lantern nodded his head, flying right towards me. He picked me up easily, and I braced myself before we crashed through the window. He let me go, and I landed smoothly on the roof.

Some rapid firing appeared from belong me, shattering the glass. A shard cut my cheek as I turned to observe my surroundings, and my eyes widened.

Well, crap. Looks like there was going to be an explosion after all.

I took off, ignoring the fact that I was going to run right off the building.

And it was a damn good thing I decided to as well.

A stray bullet had hit the gas tanks I had spotted, and just as I launched myself off, the gas exploded from the bullet. The explosion hit my back, pushing me further into the air and my hair whipped around me insanely.

Before I could fall any further, a green platform appeared below me and I landed smoothly on it.

I let out a sigh of relief, and looked up at my savior.

Hal looked down at me, a smirk on his face. "So much for a covert mission, huh kid?"

I narrowed my eyes. "It _was_ going pretty well until one of your guys appeared. Where is he, anyway?" I looked around for the new Green Lantern.

"Right here," a voice coughed out. "Thanks for the warning, by the way." The new Green Lantern flew towards me, coughing. He glared slightly at me and flew alongside me as Hal flew me towards the location where I parked my jet.

"Thought you saw already," I replied, looking at him. I then turned to Hal. "So, who is he?"

Hal gave me a grin. "Thought I'd follow in everyone else's footsteps and get myself a protégé too. Fal, meet Kyle, the newest Green Lantern."

"Hal!" Kyle complained. "What happened to secret identities?!"

Hal looked at his protégé. "What? She's bound to find out anyway. I can guarantee that in three hours, she'll have your full name, your address, your occupation, and what school you go to."

"… Wait… _Kyle_?" I gaped, looking at the Green Lantern. "As in Kyle _Rayner_?"

"… Or three seconds," Hal shrugged.

"How'd you know _that_?" Kyle gaped at me. "Talk about being the protégée of the World's Best Detective…"

Hal chuckled, placing me in front of my jet in the woods. I opened the door and entered, and the two Green Lanterns entered as well.

Hal peeled off his mask the second I closed the door and I turned to the two. I looked at Hal and then Kyle, before peeling off my own mask.

If Kyle was a cartoon character, his jaw would've dropped to the ground in shock. "No. Way," he gaped. "_Verena_?!"

"The one and only," I sang, looking at Kyle with an amused expression. "If you keep your mouth open any longer, flies… or worse, _mosquitoes_ will fly in. And this is South America. You _don't_ want that."

Kyle attempted to close his mouth multiple times, but his jaw kept dropping. "A– I– Bu– Wh– Huh– I–What the hell?" Then he mused. "Wait… would that make Dick–"

"Robin? Yeah," I nodded my head. "You'll be surprised how many heroes live right under your nose." I gave a cheeky grin to Kyle.

"Well, at least that explains how you know Verena," Kyle looked at his mentor. "Even if you _are_ a test pilot. Of all the test pilots in the world, _you_ get to _personally_ meet Bruce Wayne and his wards."

Hal shrugged.

I let out a smile and asked, "So, Hal, is Kyle joining the Team?"

"Not yet," Hal replied. "John and I have been training this kid, but we don't think he's necessarily _ready_ yet."

"Aw, c'mon, Hal. I'm totally ready!"

"You totally ruined the mission," Hal retorted. He looked at me, a bit wary. "Did he?"

I shrugged. "It could've gone a _lot_ more smoothly, but… not really," I responded. I pulled out a microchip from the inside of my glove, showing it to Hal.

"See?!" Kyle exclaimed. "I'm _so_ ready!"

"Maybe," Hal mused. "Anyway, wanna drop us off at the Cave?"

"Sure," I replied. "Just letting you know though, Kyle, Dick and my identities are a _secret_. You _can't_ let _anyone_, not even the rest of the Team, know. I only told you 'cause it's a lot easier telling you flat out than hiding the secret from you. It sucked doing it for a whole year."

"Gotcha," Kyle told me.

I did an easy turn in the air, and flipped a couple of switches to connect me to the Cave. I flipped up the switch that allowed me to open the bay doors, and flew in easily.

I slipped my mask back on with one hand as I controlled the jet with the other with ease. Once we landed smoothly, I opened the doors.

I stepped down and saw Conner and M'gann in the hangar with Wolf and Sphere.

"Hi there, Falcon!" M'gann greeted me happily. "How was the mission?"

"I got some intel, but ran into a bit of trouble," I frowned.

"But you're a master at stealth," Conner said, looking at me, confused. "What happened?"

"My protégé happened," Hal's voice came as he descended from my jet with Kyle right behind him.

"_Team, report to the Mission Room,"_ Batman's voice echoed throughout the Cave. _"An important announcement."_

I quirked an eyebrow at Hal, who gave me a smile. "Scurry on," he told us.

"I don't scurry," I frowned.

"You'd make a cute meerkat though," Kyle grinned.

I rolled my eyes, but followed Conner, M'gann, and our Team pets out of the hangar. I made a few familiar turns down the hall, and ran into Garth and Tula on the way.

"Welcome back, Black Falcon," Tula smiled at me. Garth smiled and nodded his greeting.

"Thanks," I replied. "So everyone's here today?"

"Yeah," Garth nodded. "I think Wally was pulled out on a mission with Flash, but he's back."

I nodded to acknowledge what Garth had said before we entered the Mission Room. The others were already there, standing together and talking with each other.

"Fal!" Wally was the first to see me, and waved enthusiastically.

"Hey," I greeted everyone. I walked over to Batman and he held out his hand. I dropped off the microchip and reported, "There wasn't much information on Cadmus, but I did manage to get their next targets and deliveries. A few… _complications_ arose and the building kind of… _exploded_."

"But we weren't there to mess it up," Wally pointed out. "Ow!" he cried out, and I turned to see him rubbing his abdomen, glaring down at his girlfriend. "What?!"

"We don't mess up _every_ mission!"

"Actually, we do, girl," Rocket nodded in agreement. "But seriously, what happened?"

"That was uh… my fault," Kyle's voice came. "I kinda sorta got detected."

"How many Green Lanterns are there?" Zatanna asked, confused, looking at Kyle.

"There's no more than four on Earth," Hal assured. "But there's plenty more in the other planets and galaxies. Everyone, this is my protégé, Kyle. Kyle, this is the Team."

"What happened to secret IDs?" Kyle turned to look at his mentor.

Hal shrugged. "No one on the Team keeps a secret ID unless you're Batman's kids."

"Huh…" Kyle mused, looking around. "Oh, dude. _Wally_?!"

"Wait… I know that voice…" Wally mused. Kyle took off his mask. "_Dude_! Kyle!" He ran over to Kyle and they did their little bro-handshake thing. "You joining the Team?!"

"That's correct," Batman spoke. "Green Lantern will be joining the Team. The twelve of you will be split into two teams of six. Team Alpha will consist of Aqualad as leader, Rocket, Superboy, Miss Martian, Tempest, and Aquagirl. Team Beta will have Robin and Black Falcon as co-leaders, Kid Flash, Artemis, Zatanna, and Green Lantern. These teams are primary, but the roster can be changed to work well with the mission."

"Sweet!" Wally grinned, fist-pounding with Kyle.

"I never would've thought you were Batman…" Kyle mused, looking at my mentor.

"It's called a _secret_ for a reason," Batman replied. "That's all." He looked at Hal, and the two Justice League members walked to the Zeta-Beam.

"_Recognized: Batman: Zero-Two. Green Lantern: Zero-Five."_

"I wonder what my designation is," Kyle mused out loud.

"It's probably B-One-Three, since I'm the last one," Tula said. She smiled kindly at Kyle and extended a hand. "Hi, I'm Aquagirl, but you can call me Tula."

"Tempest, but I'm Garth when not working," Garth introduced himself with a smile.

"I am Aqualad, but please, call me Kaldur," Kaldur greeted politely.

"I'm Zatanna! I don't really have a… superhero name," Zatanna gave a sheepish smile.

"The name's Rocket, but my real name's Raquel," Raquel smiled.

"I'm Artemis," Artemis explained. "I don't have a different alias either."

"My name's M'gann, but I go by Miss Martian on missions," M'gann introduced herself. "This is Conner, or Superboy." She gestured to her boyfriend.

Robin grinned at Kyle. "I'm Robin," he said, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"So no real names for either of you two?" Kyle asked, looking at me.

"Nope," Robin and I shook our heads. "Call me Falcon or Fal."

"You know each other?" Artemis asked, looking back and forth between Kyle and us. She looked at Kyle strangely. "You look familiar, but I can't remember where I've seen you…"

"Ever been in Manhattan?" Kyle arched a brow. "I live there. You might've seen me walking around?"

"Probably," Artemis agreed, nodding her head. I'm glad she didn't remember seeing Kyle at Dick's birthday party last year.

"How old are you?" Raquel asked curiously. "You look like you're Roy's age."

"Roy?" Kyle cocked a brow.

"Red Arrow," I explained.

"Roy… Roy _Harper_?" Kyle gaped. "What the… all you guys were superheroes?!" His eyes darted from Wally to Robin to me. "That," he started loudly, "… That actually explains a lot." He let out a sigh, now understanding why we sometimes abruptly left him.

"Meeting up in Manhattan at eight and not being tired?" Robin offered. Kyle nodded. "Yeah, we Zeta'd there."

"That makes a lot more sense," Kyle nodded his head. "Wow. I'm pretty dumb for falling for your guys' lies."

"You're taking this pretty easily for finding out we've been lying to you," I mused.

"Well, I can't really be mad since I know now, when I'm a hero too," Kyle said, looking at me. "And it's pretty cool. My best friends are Robin, Black Falcon, Red Arrow, and Kid Flash."

"Are we missing something here?" Raquel cocked her head to the side.

"And the secret life of Robin and Black Falcon makes an appearance! _Bam_! Cue confusion! What will happen next? Will the Team discover Robin and Black Falcon's true identities? Will–"

"Wally shut up?" Robin interrupted, looking up at his best friend with mild annoyance.

I let out a small giggle and Robin threw me a smirk. Wally, on the other hand, pouted. "You didn't have to be so mean," he almost whined, his green eyes getting exceptionally larger as he attempted a puppy dog pout. "I just wanted to try to be a narrator."

"Is it always like this?" Kyle quirked an eyebrow at Kaldur.

"Pretty much," the Atlantean nodded his head.

Raquel went to ask Kyle a question, and Robin reached forward to grab my hand. Without another word, we left the group, with Wally letting out a wolf-whistle behind us.

My face flush a bit at the insinuation, but I continued to let him drag me down a hallway. He quickly found the room that we shared in the Cave when we slept over, and the second the door was closed, he had me against the wall.

He buried his face in the crook of my neck and I tilted my neck so he could get closer to me.

"I missed you…" he muttered quietly, his voice causing a vibration to tickle my neck and down my spine. He wrapped his arms around my waist tightly, pulling me to him.

"I've only been gone for two days," I responded just as he pulled back. He reached forward, taking off my mask, and I did the same to him.

Steel blue met my own forest green and Dick smiled softly. "Two days is two days too long," he told me, reaching to cradle my face.

My heart rate increased dramatically at his words and I swooned. _Ugh. I _did_ end up becoming one of _those_ girls_. "You've gotta stop that," I warned him half-heartedly, my face slightly flushing.

Dick chuckled softly, and because of our close proximity, I felt his chest vibrate against my own. "I like what you do after I do that though."

Ugh. Of course he did. Instead of reply, I threw my arms around his neck, stood on my toes, and crashed his lips against my own, just like I always did when he took my breath away.

Our top lips stayed connected as we both pulled back to take a deep breath before my hands shot up to his hair, tangling the strands with my fingers. Dick pulled me flush against him, keeping his hands on the small of my back.

"I missed you," he sighed once we pulled apart. "I missed this. I missed _us_." He let out a heavy breath. "I'm glad you're back."

I smiled softly, leaning up to give him a swift peck. "I am too," I told him, before going in for another kiss.

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**A/N:** Did any of you catch the last part of the story? :) Review, guys~ I will respond in the next chapter! :D


	2. HIVE, Part 1

**A/N:** WHY DO I HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK AND WHY COLLEGE APPLICATION DEADLINES ARE RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER?! *frantically runs around in circles* I'm trying as hard as I can to have weekly updates, but I doubt it so. D: I'll do my best to keep updates **weekly** or **bi-weekly**, but no 100% guarantees. If I don't update by two weeks, expect a barrage of **_The Robin and The Falcon_** chapters as my deepest apologies. ._. Now onto reviews!

**bluepenquin1998:** Nono. It's not bad at all. I'm quite thrilled and honored, actually. :) I love it when you readers let out actual sounds. I make a lot of squeals and rolls when I read good stories, so I hope that's the reason why you guys make noises. :)  
**skullcandy216:** I do, too! 'Cause I haven't written a lot yet, I'm quite curious as well. ;)  
silly-melodies: Hahah! I love Kyle, too! Of COURSE I'll have him as GL! That's why I introduced him in the first place! Awww thank you. :3  
**Anime hotty lover.18:** Thank you! :)  
**Guest #1:** Thank you! :D  
**LadyFelton1994:** Yup! Bringing back the Lovebirds! ;)  
**Gina B-ookworm:** Thank you! I can't wait myself. ;)  
**piggythelaw:** Awww, thanks! I felt giddy writing it. Hahah. Well, Bruce is trained in the art of ninjutsu, so I'd assume Dick and Verena are as well. ;)  
**EvilCheesecake437:** Thank you! :D  
**Panda-Chan8:** Awww, thanks! LOL. It's no problem!  
**Haliston:** Thank you! Dick and Verena will still have their little moments~ Of course! This IS a Robin/OC fic FIRST, after all. I just want more development on Verena as a character. :)  
**LadyAmazon:** Thank you! :D  
**That dorky blonde:** *takes a bow*  
**Xmidniteaangel15X:** Hahah. Call me Tracy. ;) Thank you! No! I love your questions! Ask away!  
**Guest #2:** Thank you! And yes, bring on the Lovebirds! ;)  
**FabIsHere:** Thank you~ LOL. Did you catch that _Lion King 1 1/2_ reference? :o  
**PamelaSarcastified:** I do too. :D  
**goddessofthenigth:** I missed you! :D LOL. I'm glad I'm back too.  
**Guest #3:** LOL. Why thank you very much. :)

And here's a new section for people who ask questions. :)

**Q&A****:**  
**Xmidniteaangel15X asks: (1) Will Jason be making an appearance in this story? (2) ********Will Cheshire be in this story pregnant, and would Roy ask Verena to be the God-mother? (3) ********Will a love triangle form in this story?**  
**(1) **YESYESYES. Jason WILL be making an appearance, but not for a while. Look forward to it, though! **(2) **I will tell you that Lian WILL be happening, but... it'll be slightly different. You'll see. **(3) **I honestly suck at writing love triangles, and to be honest, is there any doubt that Dick and Verena will end up with each other? I, myself, am not a fan of love triangles. If anything, there WILL be love triangles, but not with Dick and Verena. (There's always La'gaan-M'gann-Conner.)

Iono. It just seemed fitting to have a little Q&A section, so don't be shy to ask! :) And now, onto the story! :)

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**MOUNT JUSTICE  
****JULY 12, 2011  
****13:23 EDT**

"I'm bored like no one's business," Kyle declared from his spot on the sofa. "Team Alpha's on a mission and we're stuck here Cave-sitting."

"Don't you know patience is a virtue, Kyle?" I questioned from Dick's lap. "Besides, they're dealing with something in Atlantis. Water's not really our element." I fiddled with the gun that I was cleaning.

"_Team, report to the Mission Room for a mission debrief."_

"And that's our cue," I sighed. I patted Dick's outer thigh before standing up. "Get up, Boy Wonder. Duty calls."

"Heh, you said _duty_," Wally laughed at his silent joke.

"You're ridiculous," we all sighed, before piling out of the lounge.

"Egnahc enoyreve otni rieht smrofinu," Zatanna ordered, and I felt a bit of wind surround me before my Black Falcon uniform was on.

"Saves a lot of time with a magician," I grinned to the dark-haired girl.

"Totally," Artemis agreed, and we entered the Mission Room, where Batman was waiting patiently. When all of us took our places in front of him, Batman pulled up a holographic screen.

"This is The Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Eliminations, better known as H.I.V.E.," Batman explained, showing us images of people dressed like bees.

"Let me guess… Queen Bee?" I quirked an eyebrow at my mentor.

Batman gave a curt nod. "The organization is headed by Queen Bee, assisted by Deathstroke, real name Slade Wilson." He showed us images of Queen Bee, and a man dressed in a half-orange, half-black mask.

"The ex-husband of Adeline Kane?" Robin inquired, and we exchanged looks.

Adeline Kane was a woman that ran in the same social circle as us, and through Bruce, we've exchanged a couple of words at some parties before. She mentioned being divorced, and I've never personally met her ex-husband.

"And our assignment is…?" Kid Flash questioned, munching on a protein bar.

"There's a location in the Persian Gulf in which we have been investigating. There's no civilization there, but the Justice League has been monitoring their activities and has noticed some disturbances in the area around there. Most likely, there's a H.I.V.E. base located there.

"The objective is for you six to _covertly_ check things out and gather as much intel as you can, from the mainland of Saudi Arabia to the underwater base that we detect is there. Afterwards, _then_ you can destroy it."

"Oh good, so we _can_ blow things up today," I grinned. Blowing up things was fun, especially when it was a bad guy's lair.

Batman nodded. "_After_ you gather information. Until then, _stay covert_. The items that you requested are in the compartment below the pilot's seat in the jet." Without another word, he turned his heel and walked off, his cape dramatically flowing behind him.

"Let me tell Garfield we're heading out first," I said, remembering the little boy we picked up half a year back. "Meet me in the jet." I jogged off without waiting for a reply, heading to the rooms.

I knocked twice before I heard Garfield's voice say, "Come in!"

I poked my head in and saw Garfield was watching _Star Wars_ on the large television screen on the other side of the room from his bed.

"We're heading off on a mission," I informed Garfield. "There's some leftover pasta from last night in the fridge, so just heat it up if you're hungry."

"Okay, _mom_," Garfield turned to me, grinning to show that he was just messing with me. I threw him one last smile before saying a quick goodbye and jogging to the hangar.

When I stepped into my jet, everyone was already seated, and just watching an episode of what looked like… "Are you guys seriously watching _Jersey Shore_ on _my_ jet?" I frowned.

"Why not?" Wally questioned, his mask down, munching on an apple. "It was the first channel we turned to and it's not like we have to watch the _entire_ episode."

"This show's stupid," Zatanna said, and I rolled my eyes before turning it off and starting the engines.

"Wally, don't mess with my controls," I said before I took off.

"Why do you assume it was me?" the speedster whined. "It could've been Kyle or Robin!"

"But it wasn't, now was it?" I smartly replied, soaring past a group of flying birds, going into stealth mode.

Only snickering from the other team members was my reply.

Once everything calmed down, we began our mission briefing amongst ourselves.

"First and foremost, Saudi Arabia is _not_ under our jurisdiction, so we have to be extra careful to avoid creating an international accident," Robin declared. "That means _no_ creating extra attention amongst ourselves."

Without taking my eyes off the skies, I reached under my seat and felt something between my fingers. I pulled it out and tossed the bag to Robin, who caught it easily.

"We had these made for you guys in case of outside missions that involved staking out for a period of time," I explained, and saw Robin pull out the items inside. He turned around and tossed them to our teammates, who caught them easily.

"_Phones_?" Zatanna inquired, her tone confused.

I could see why she was confused. We had just given them slick, black phones about the size of an iPhone. It looked a lot similar to an iPhone, but it was thinner and slightly longer, so it would be easy to slip anywhere. It also had three buttons below the five-inch screen.

"Com-phones, actually. Heat-sensor-based phones with all the necessary functions you need," Robin explained. "No one but members of the Team and the League can access these. Information on wherever you are is located in there, along with a translator in case you don't know the region's languages. There's also facial recognition and scanning for your missions to identify who's behind it."

Kid Flash let out a low whistle. "_Sweet_."

"It also gives you direct contact to members of the Team or the League. Pulling out a phone and talking into it is a lot less suspicious than activating your com-link," I informed them. "Your com-links are connected to the phone, so if you're occupied, just slip out the phone."

"You guys have the coolest gadgets," Artemis declared.

"How do you activate the facial recognition?" Kyle inquired.

"Press the button in the middle. That unlocks it, and then press the middle button again. Then, point your camera at someone," Robin said. I glanced up to look at what was going on and saw Kyle doing what Robin told him to do.

"_Kid Flash_," Kyle read, a smile appearing on his face. "That's so _cool_! There's even an option to read more."

"If you point it at a villain, it'll give their real name," I piped in. "We left out the real name function for heroes, just to be safe. You never know how tech-savvy these villains are."

"There's a Villains Gallery in here!" Zatanna exclaimed.

"_Hah_!" Wally laughed. "Count Vertigo's first name is _Werner_! That's so rich! I love this!"

"Good," I mused, my lips curling up. "Because you guys are _required_ to have this on you at _all_ times. Not only does it help _you_, but it allows _us_ to track where you are, just in case you need help."

"I'm not complaining," Zatanna shrugged.

"There's also unlimited access to the internet, as well as the Team's and Justice League's database. Of course, some things are still private, but you can Google anything you need anytime," Robin said, kicking back.

"What's the other two buttons do?" Artemis asked.

"The one on the left is the call function. Just hold it and say a name, and the phone will immediately patch you to that person. The button on the right is a GPS. Using the Watchtower's satellites, it'll detect where you are instantly. The middle button, as you know, unlocks the phone, and gives you access to the camera if you press it again. Just holding it for three seconds will bring you to the camera as well. You don't have to worry about anyone else accessing it, because, like we said, only members of the Team and Justice League are able to unlock it."

"How's that possible?" Kyle mused.

"The middle button activates an invisible scan, almost like before we get onto a Zeta-Beam. It'll recognize you and then give you access," Robin explained. "But seriously. Don't forget or leave them anywhere."

"The others should get theirs when they come back," I explained. "I'm assuming the League members already have theirs. Did you guys see the _How To_ for it on your screen?"

"Yeah," Artemis replied. "Holographic functions too? Why am I not surprised."

"Batman seriously has the coolest gadgets ever," Wally declared.

"_Hey_! We came up with the idea!" Robin and I protested.

"We proposed the idea," Robin began.

"And we were in charge for the development of these," I finished.

"Batman just gave us the materials," we said at the same time.

"Your guys' bond is seriously creepy sometimes," Wally groaned. "But…" Before I could blink, he was right next to Robin. "You guys are the best friends _ever_! You're so worried about me that you created a phone to practically stalk me and help me with my missions!"

Then I felt his arms circle around me.

"Wally, I'm driving," I deadpanned, but I liked the feeling of him hugging me. It was like an older brother showing his little sister affection. But of course, I wasn't going to give him _that_ satisfaction. It'd be too easy. "Let go before I crash-land us in the middle of the Atlantic."

"You're too skilled for that," Wally replied. He boldly pecked my cheek and ruffled my hair.

The second he stepped away though, I tilted the jet upwards, making Wally flail and scramble. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, before I heard a thud. "_Babe_! I was still walking!"

"Oops," I replied unapologetically, not even bothering to hide the smile I had. "You distracted me from my driving."

"Ha-_ha_," Wally deadpanned, before I heard the familiar_ click_ of the seat belt.

"We're approaching Qatar," I announced, seeing Africa below me. "We'll be there in about five minutes at this speed."

"Honestly, it'd be easier for the guys to investigate the land, because of Saudi Arabia's beliefs, but we can't risk being exposed when we investigate the water base, so Fal, Kyle, and I will handle the water base while Wally, Artemis, and Zatanna investigate. But be careful though," Robin warned.

"Disguises are in the room in the back," I said. "Closet on the right."

The others, minus Kyle, unbuckled their seatbelts, as I soared over Egypt. A couple minutes later, the three returned, most likely wrapped up and dressed in similar clothing to the locals.

"Done," Artemis declared.

I nodded and reached up to flip a couple of switches. "I'll be dropping you three on a rooftop. We'll rendezvous an hour later after investigation."

"Drop zone in thirty," Robin announced, as I flew over Qatar, opening the lower hatch.

"Now," I ordered, and I saw the three of them jump out of the jet, trusting my orders. I closed the hatch and flew a bit further.

"It'll be a bit of a drop, since I didn't want the jet to cause ripples," I announced, looking at Green Lantern and Robin.

"That'll be fine," Robin shrugged, and slipped on a rebreather. I slipped on my own and looked at Green Lantern, who had put his own rebreather on as well. He gave me a thumbs up and I opened the hatch.

I looked down and it _was_ a rather far drop, about a hundred feet. I looked at my two teammates before we nodded and I dived down first, making sure my arms were guiding me.

I landed smoothly in the water, just as I felt two splashes right after me. Robin motioned with sign language. _"Go deeper down. Follow me."_ I activated my night vision, since it was almost nine o'clock at night in Saudi Arabia.

Green Lantern and I followed after him, kicking the water behind us and we swam deeper and further away from the shore. It was a good thing the Persian Gulf wasn't all that deep, so we didn't have to use the Green Lantern's power to avoid being crushed by the water pressure.

The Persian Gulf, I knew, was only at most, three-hundred feet, so it was safe to free dive if you were experienced, and able to fend yourself from the creatures that swam these waters.

"_You doing alright?"_ I signaled Green Lantern. It was his first _actual_ deep-sea dive. We were all trained at simulated depths, but only Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, Robin, and I have actually deep-sea dived. The prior three was because they've been to Atlantis before.

"_Alright,"_ Green Lantern signed back. He turned back to focus, and his eyes widened and I resisted the urge to laugh as a dugong and her calf swam past me. I swam up, to avoid the gentle, yet large creature.

"_So far, I'm not seeing anything,"_ Kid Flash reported. _"Nothing seems unusual."_

"_Same,"_ Artemis and Zatanna replied.

"_Keep searching,"_ Robin ordered, his voice muffled due to the rebreather. _"We're bound to find _something_ related to H.I.V.E.."_

"_Got it,"_ the other three responded.

"_I see something,"_ I signaled the others, spotting something.

"_Get closer,"_ Robin told me. _"We'll watch your back."_

I nodded and pushed my arms, swimming closer and closer to what I spotted. It looked like something yellow. Now, I know underwater life was weird, but I know for a fact nothing was yellow and black in the sea life in the Persian Gulf.

I pulled out my own phone, and began to snap pictures. I spotted something moving, and moved to the side, taking refuge behind rocks, before snapping a couple more pictures.

I looked down at my phone in my hand, and used the zoom function. It became really blurry, so I double tapped to clear it up. Was that someone moving inside?

I zoomed even further and a shadow became clear. I snapped a couple more pictures, and grabbed onto a dolphin that swam past me. The dolphin chirped and clicked at me, nudging me, and brought me closer to the surface, but then I let go, rejoining Robin and Green Lantern.

"_I found the base,"_ I informed them. _"Not as slick as I thought they'd be."_

"_Maybe they wanted to be found?"_ Green Lantern signaled back. I shrugged in response.

"_Someone's harassing another person,"_ Zatanna reported.

Robin's head snapped up in attention. _"Don't attack,"_ he ordered. _"Take pictures and ignore. This is strictly recon right now. We have to lose some to gain some. After that, we'll rendezvous. Meet us on the rooftop we dropped you off on earlier."_

"_Uh… Rob… Fal… Angry sharks aren't a good thing, right?"_ Green Lantern asked.

"Of course they aren't," I rolled my eyes, turning my attention to him. "Wh–" I cut myself off when I noticed a shark, thrashing about. "Shit. It's a tiger shark," I identified. "We gotta get out, quick."

"You mean the sharks that eat _anything_?" Green Lantern inquired.

"Unless you know about some other _Galeocerdo cuvier_ that I don't know about," I deadpanned. "It comes out _late_ at night. What's it doing up _now_?"

"_I don't think we want to find out,"_ Robin responded, just as it stopped and looking at us.

Its beady eyes stared at us blankly, and my eyes widened as it began swimming towards us. Green Lantern summoned a protective green sphere around us at the last second though, causing the creature to hit it with a dull _thud_.

It opened its teeth threateningly and I nudged the older male. "Get us out," I ordered. Green Lantern nodded, and we shot off like a rocket, right out of the water, and I activated the bottom hatch of the jet to open just in time.

I landed on my feet, almost stumbling as we entered the jet, and I let out a sigh. I didn't care that water was dripping all over the floor. I set the controls to auto-pilot, and the jet took off as I sat down on the ground. Swimming for an hour straight was exhausting, especially in deep waters.

The jet then slowed to a stop, and Zatanna floated up with Kid Flash and Artemis.

"Escaped the shark?" Wally asked as the hatch closed.

"Who do you take us for?" Robin asked from where he sat.

"No offense," Zatanna started, "but you guys _smell_."

"Give us a break," Kyle sighed, peeling off his mask. "We were in the ocean for an hour, and I almost got ran over by a dugong and eaten by a tiger shark."

"Hit the showers first," Robin told Kyle. "Fal and I will handle what we gathered." Robin walked over to the front of the jet, and hit a button that caused a keyboard to pop out. The window then changed from the view outside to various window screens popping up.

"Another good thing about the phones," I said, looking at my teammates. "Instant data access without having to transfer anything."

"Totally cool," Wally grinned, looking down at his phone.

"These are the pictures we all gathered," Robin declared, looking at the six screens. "H.I.V.E.'s base has been found about four hundred feet underwater, and judging by that tiger shark's attack, it's been affecting the animal life around there negatively. Normally, tiger sharks sit there and _wait_ before attacking."

"So we have to get rid of it," Zatanna declared.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Hopefully, the animal instincts will kick in for them, because we're blowing it up. We can't afford to leave the base in one piece, just in case someone decides to use it again."

"How do we get in there?" Artemis inquired, crossing her arms.

"We're still figuring that one out," I declared.

"The pictures that you three gathered, show that H.I.V.E. has been running some fear amongst the people around here," Robin explained, pulling up Artemis, Zatanna, and Wally's pictures. All of them showed various people in black uniforms, with yellow lines on the sides. "Well, we suspect these people are a part of H.I.V.E. at least."

"Wait," I mused, making Robin stop flipping through the pictures. "Go back a couple on Artemis's." Robin did as he said. "She looks familiar…" I mused.

"Running facial recognition," Robin declared. A few seconds later, the name **DRAGONFLY** appeared at the bottom of the picture. "Real name unknown."

I walked over to him, and looked at the image of the young woman. "I seriously don't remember where I've seen her, but I recall watching a video of her beating up multiple security guards and dodging motion-sensor lasers."

"H.I.V.E. isn't lacking in lackies then," Zatanna declared.

"Doesn't seem like it," I agreed, nodding my head.

"Shower's clear," Kyle declared, coming into the room. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt, while wiping his wet hair with a plain white towel.

"You go next," Robin told me. "I'll send this to Batman." I nodded my head before walking off, heading to the back room.

The jet was modified so this back room had multiple closets and a shower for members of the Team. There was also a spare drawer with Justice League uniforms, just in case. There were five doors total in this room. One led to the main jet area.

Two of the others led to changing rooms, one for the males, and one for the females. The other two led to a bathroom and a shower room. I walked into the shower room and undressed quickly, showering and getting rid of the Gulf's scent and replacing it with my own.

Once I was sure the stench was off me, I climbed out of the shower and got dressed in one of Dick's large t-shirts and a pair of jeans. I wasn't going anywhere, and I didn't need to impress anyone. I slipped on a pair of sunglasses, since Zatanna and Artemis still didn't know my secret identity, and walked out of the shower room.

"Hey," Robin greeted me, coming into the back room.

"Shower's free," I informed, even though I didn't really have to. I walked over to him as he closed the door, and leaned against him. He bent forward a little bit, kissing my forehead. I circled my arms around him, and he wrapped his arms around my upper back.

"Already gave Batman the information we gathered," Robin told me, before digging his face in my hair. "We should be back in less than a week."

"Alright then," I muttered more to myself than to Robin. I pulled my head back and leaned up to peck the tip of Robin's nose. "Now go shower. You stink."

I could tell he rolled his eyes behind his mask, but he did as I told him to, but not before stealing another kiss from me.

I walked back into the main area of the jet, and the others were lounged casually on the seats, pushing up the arm rests to lie comfortably, all the while watching an episode of _LOST_.

Well… better than _Jersey Shore_.

"I'm gonna find a place to land and refuel the jet," I announced. They hummed in reply and I made the screen a bit smaller so I could see what was in front of me.

It didn't take me long to find a nice, secluded area in the desert. This _was_ Saudi Arabia after all. I landed the jet and shut off all engines, activating its stealth and defense systems in case we were attacked… which was _highly _unlikely, but hey, can't ever be _too _safe and sure… especially with a life like ours.

I widened the screen again and walked towards the many storage areas. Built for survival for _days_, the jet had a stock of food, a stove, a microwave, a fridge, a closet full of blankets and pillows, and extra fuel.

Granted, I didn't use up that much fuel today, but it was good to reload. It was also a lot easier to do than most planes, because I could do everything from inside, considering how dangerous it was to just be outside like a sitting duck.

After making sure the jet was full, I put away the fuel just as Robin came back. He was decked out in a pair of loose fit jeans, a dark blue t-shirt, a pair of black shoes, and his sunglasses.

"And now we wait," I declared.

"And now we wait," Robin nodded.

* * *

**A/N:** The first chapter proudly got 19 reviews. Now, I know there are some more usual reviewers out there! Where are you guys? :o Can we shoot for twenty? ;)


	3. HIVE, Part 2

**A/N:** Ugh. I'm so sorry it took a bit longer than two weeks. Olivia just got a new job and I've been stressing out on college apps. $280 DOLLARS. YOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING ME, COLLEGE. :c And that's with a fee waiver... Just a warning: December and January are gonna be **hell** because of basketball season. ._. I'm hoping it'll calm down soon, but AKEFHNUAKDNIMADJKSNUEFDJK. *dies*

Before we start, I have a notice: People have been asking about Verena's background, and I was thinking about releasing a season all about that later on, AFTER everything, which will probably be a couple of years. But seeing as people are impatient (including me), I was thinking about having flashback chapters... What do you think? I have a poll on my profile!

Now onto reviews!

**Xmidniteangel15X:** Congrats! You were the first! :D  
**Faith:** :'D Thank you...  
**Sapphire Jade Eyes:** I have updated! And I love you. ;D  
**silly-melodies:** Nope. Black Falcon hit 463 reviews with only twenty-nine (thirty if you include the soundtrack) chapters. I'm planning on having this season with more chapters than that, so I'm shooting for 500. ;D (Let's go!) Why thank you! :) Your questions will be answered in the Q&A section below, and don't worry about spoilers! If it's a spoiler, I WILL just give the typical Greg answer. ;) Thank you very much~  
**LadyAmazon:** ^^" Really, now?  
**Panda-Chan8:** I'm glad to hear that! :) Life's been... stressful, but it's nothing that I can't persevere through? :) LOL. Maybe it's because of my crap update times? :P Sorry, my beta finishes in mid-afternoon and I just NEED to post ASAP. :|  
**That dorky blonde:** LOL. Maybe you should contact the people who write the dictionary and thesaurus then. ;)  
**DancerOfDanger:** I can't wait for them to grow up and change their names either. :)  
**bluepenquin1998:** Thank you! :)  
**LadyFelton1994:** LOL. It's no prob, as long as you remembered. ;)  
**Quietly-Insane12:** Thank you! x.x  
**piggythelaw:** LOL, it was just a random animal I picked. :3 LOL. They make me feel fluffy inside too. :3 You're welcome, and thanks for reviewing!  
**goddess of the nigth:** LOL. Thanks! I was wondering what would happen if they were in a crowded area and needed to be called in by the League? Hence, com-phones! Thank you once again! :)  
**creamtherabbit77:** Thank you! :D  
**EvilCheesecake437:** Egh. HIVE won't be making a LARGE appearance. Just sometimes (if not only once). xD Depends on how my thought process goes.  
**BlackMirageMist:** LOL. I don't think Wally likes Jersey Shore, but who knows? Thank you! :)  
**Hyper-Blossom Z:** Thank you! I was wondering where you were! I'm glad too. ;) Thank you!  
**Kelly1432:** Dear, I think you mean "you're", because when you said "your back", I thought you knew my back was in pain. LOL. Thank you! Um... drama for the couple? I'm not sure yet. Drama for just Verena? OH YES. (Or at least, I'm gonna try.) Well, Zatanna and Verena are like, BFFs now, so maybe not Zatanna, but someone else I'm gonna introduce later on. ;)  
**Kamil the Awesome:** Yeah. I'm kind of FORCING myself to write something. :c It's not going to great. Hopefully it'll get better and easier for me to write.  
since the start: Hahah. Thank you! :)  
**Shivering:** I don't want them to end either. *sigh* I have no future plans to break them up (yet)! And REALLY? You copied all the chapters? XD LOLOL. THAT'S HILARIOUS. I'VE DONE THAT WITH STORIES I LOVE TOO. Now I have internet on my phone, so yeah... ;) THANK YOU. I FUCKING LOVE YOU AND YOUR REVIEWS. LOL. I love Kyle too. Expect more of him as the series progresses! Their bab(ies)? Married? Have you seen the one-shot series I posted? LOL. That brings me to an issue that I'll bring forth after I reply to your reiew. Thank you very much, and I'm glad you like the idea of Conner and Verena being half-siblings. It really wasn't planned, because Lex Luthor being Verena's dad was randomly picked from a set of numbers. Then I realized, "Wait... Verena has Luthor's DNA... Conner has Luthor's DNA... THEY'RE SIBLINGS. OMFGAWIFSZHNDC I'M AMAZING FOR COMING UP WITH THIS!" LOL. Dick? Competitive? I think he's much too confident to be worried, but maybe. ;)  
**lovinurbuks:** Here's the update you wanted! :)

**Q&A:**  
**Xmidniteangel15X asks: (1) Did we see this mystery lady in the first season? (2) Is Kyle going to have a love interest? I was hoping Zatanna for some reason.**  
**(1)** Dragonfly? No. She did NOT appear in the first season. I was going through some DC character list and found her and I was like, "Hey, I should introduce some BA lady that could prove a challenge to Verena!" **(2)** Kyle/Zatanna never crossed my mind! XD I just introduced Kyle because I love him as a friend for Verena. I'll let you know that he WILL get girlfriend(s?) but...

**silly-melodies asks: (1) Will [Jason Todd] be a Robin by [the time he's introduced]? (2) Will we be seeing the transformation from Robin to Nightwing for Dick?**  
**(1)** Jason WILL be a Robin (duh!), but during the time of his introduction, I'm still a bit sketchy on that. **(2)** Of course! You'll be seeing the transformation of Dick and Verena's identities! (Whoops, spoilers! LOL)

Any other questions, I will gladly answer, whether it's in a review, message, or on my Ask page! :) Also, since this is Thanksgiving, I'd just like to throw out there that I'm **incredibly** thankful for all of you guys who consistently support me. Whether you've supported me from the very beginning or just barely joined, I'm glad you're taking your time out to read this. I can't believe I had **23** reviews in the last chapter! Can we shoot for another 20? :)

Now that this giant chunk of a note is finished, onto the story! :)

* * *

**PERSIAN GULF  
****JULY 15, 2011  
****22:34 AST**

"I'm in," Robin reported, while I kept a look out. From the corner of my eye, I saw him furiously typing to disable all of H.I.V.E.'s first layer of defense. "One minute… _now_."

Two minutes later, the rest of our teammates joined up, dressed in stealth mode and ready to go.

Robin pulled out a holographic map of the area. "Our goal's to find and destroy. Find _anything_ that's of valuable information. If there's writing, take pictures, then destroy it. Fal and I will take care of anything techy, so start searching. GL, you're with Zatanna. Artemis, you're with KF. Go."

Not soon after we gave the order, red lights started flashing.

"_Intruder alert. Intruder alert. Intruder alert."_

"_So much for not getting caught,"_ Kid Flash's voice came on the com-link.

"Just don't get physically caught," Robin edited as we ran down the hallways.

We heard rapid footsteps approaching, and Robin snaked an arm around my waist before hoisting us up to the ceiling.

"The motion detectors said they were here," one male said, looking around, narrowing his eyes. How was he wearing a black and yellow striped uniform and _still_ trying to look threatening?

"They should still be here!" a girl piped. "Let's find 'em!"

Robin let out a cackle, making his laugh echo around the area, as the alarms rang. The group of five kids whirled around, looking for the source, gripping their guns tightly.

Robin and I dropped down from the ceiling, landing on two roughly. I shot up quickly, and kicked the first person in front of me, making him fall back, sliding on the ground.

I bent down, hitting the guy I was on with the side of my fist roughly, and I saw him fall limp. I did a cartwheel out of the way as the lone girl shot at me, dodging easily.

"Nice shot," I said nonchalantly, landing a few feet away. Then I smirked, and pulled out my own gun. "But I'm a better one," I declared, before shooting her. She attempted to move, but I had predicted that, and she fell right where I was aiming.

She collapsed to the ground in pain. I walked over to her, tucking my fingers in before punching her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before she slumped back against the wall, unconscious.

I felt a presence behind me, and whirled around giving a punch before pointing my gun, shooting point-blank. The guy that tried to sneak behind me fell back, right in Robin's way.

"You're in my way!" he declared, punching the guy away, and gave a kick to the guy he was fighting with. The two boys hit each other, before slumping to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Let's get moving," Robin told me, looking at the unconscious bodies of the five H.I.V.E. members. I gave a curt nod and we ran off.

I shot anyone that got in my way, while Robin skillfully launched a series of flips and tricks in the air, taking out anyone that prevented us from going forward.

I spotted a computer and ran forward. At the last second, I ducked down, sliding through the legs of the H.I.V.E. members that were trying to stop me.

I pulled out my USB cable and connected it to the computer, while I heard Robin beating up anyone that tried to get too close to me.

I hacked as fast as I could, my eyes darting across the screen as multiple zeroes and ones appeared. I downloaded all the files, turning around to shoot someone that got a little too close to me.

Once all the data was done downloaded, I disconnected the cable and proceeded to help Robin knock out the rest of the H.I.V.E. members that were around. We ran down the hallway, knocking out anyone that got in our way.

We skidded to a stop, however, when the hall divided into two.

'_Split up,'_ Robin ordered after making short eye contact with me.

I nodded my head and I took off down to the hallway on the right. I kicked down a door I spotted and the people inside whirled to look at me.

I held up my gun, not wasting any time. "Move and I'll shoot."

I felt a presence behind me, and whirled around just in time to block a punch thrown my way. I was disarmed when my attacker kicked the gun out of my hand, and I reached forward to throw a punch.

"_Self-destruct sequence initiated. T-minus five minutes."_

"_That doesn't sound good,"_ Kid Flash said into our com-link.

"_Since when do self-destruct sequences mean a good thing?"_ Zatanna inquired.

I jumped out of the way as my attacker, a woman with long, flowing black hair and dark sunglasses, threw a kick. I skidded across the destroyed controls of the base, as the scientists evacuated.

"So you're Firefly," I mused, looking at the woman in the tight black body suit.

"And you're Black Falcon," she quipped back. Then she scoffed, "More like Baby Falcon."

"Did you know young falcons eat dragonflies?" I taunted her. She glared at me and charged, and I jumped out of the way to kick her on the side of her face.

She recovered quickly, giving me a swift elbow in my ribs, and I groaned in pain and she elbowed my back, making me fall to the ground.

I rolled out of the way before she could shove her boot into my face.

"_T-minus three minutes."_

"_What do we do now?"_ I heard Artemis ask rather calmly. I guess when you've faced as many explosions as us, this was just another one.

"_Evacuate,"_ Robin ordered. _"Meet where we were."_

"I'm kind of busy," I responded, grunting as I blocked a rather heavy kick from her. "You guys go ahead."

"_Need help?"_ Kid Flash offered. _"I can–"_

"_Negative, KF,"_ Robin interrupted. _"Fal, get out of there alive."_

"Who do you think I am?" I quirked, flipping Dragonfly over my back. Dragonfly snarled, I kid you not, she snarled, at me before launching herself at me before I could pull out a gun.

Damn, she was fast, getting a kick in my ribs, causing me to stumble back from the force. What was with her and that place?

I threw an uppercut, making her spit up blood as I heard a rather painful _crack_ when my knuckles made contact with her. She fell back, and hit the groan with a loud groan.

"_T-minus one minute."_

I shook my hand to loosen it up. She had a really stiff jaw. She should smile a bit more.

I walked over to where she lied and grabbed her roughly by the collar, giving her another punch, breaking her sunglasses in the process. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, before she slumped.

"_T-minus forty seconds."_

I pulled out some tight wire that I always carried around and wrapped it around the unconscious body of Dragonfly. I pulled out my rebreather, sticking it in her mouth, getting blood all over my fingers in the process, because her nose wouldn't stop leaking.

"_T-minus thirty seconds."_

I dragged Dragonfly's body with me as I went to get my gun, and I heard a _clunk_ as her foot hit the side of one of the command centers. _Whoops_.

I picked up my gun and pointed it at the window after slipping in an explosive. I shot, making the explosive attach to the window.

"_T-minus twenty-five seconds."_

The lights went out as the windows exploded, causing water to rapidly seep into the room and the night-vision in my mask to activate. With a firm grip on the wire that held Dragonfly's unconscious body, I waited for the water to completely fill the room, before swimming out.

I couldn't hear the countdown, but I knew I could only hold my breath for three minutes at most. I really needed to work on my cardiovascular system.

Keeping that note in the back of my head, I swam up, just as I felt the water shake, and some water rush towards me from behind. I braced myself as Dragonfly's body hit me, and the explosion push me forward, closer to the surface.

I ignored the light aches in my body, thank you Kevlar, and swam forward. I hit the surface and gasped, gathering as much oxygen as I could. Dragonfly's body floated up beside mine, and I let out a groan of pain as my back ached.

I let out a series of coughs, whilst gasping for air to gather more oxygen into my brain.

"FAL!" I heard multiple voices exclaim.

I noticed a bright green light hit me, and pulling me up towards where my jet was.

"Yrd Kcalb Noclaf," I heard Zatanna say before I went from soaking wet to dry in a second.

"Captured someone," I croaked out, pointing at Dragonfly's unconscious body. "She hits hard."

Kid Flash and Green Lantern pulled up Dragonfly's body and secured her with more wire to make sure she couldn't escape. The last thing we needed was a fight on my jet.

Artemis helped me up, and I stumbled slightly, still a bit worn out. She helped me over to one of the seats and sat me down.

"Here," Zatanna said, handing me a cup that was steaming. "It's hot chocolate."

"I love magicians," I breathed out, but then winced when my side protested loudly. "Think you can heal me too?"

"Sorry," Zatanna smiled sheepishly. "That's a bit too advanced for me, especially when I don't know the extent of your injuries."

"I've already set the auto-pilot to take us back to the Cave," Robin said, sitting down beside me, with his own cup of hot chocolate. "Wanna explain what happened?"

"She's blindfolded and _completely_ knocked out," Kid Flash reported, coming out from the backroom. "Didn't even have to inject her with anything."

"Face is really messed up too," Kyle mused, pulling off his domino mask. "Your punch is gonna have her knocked out for a few of hours."

"Good," I frowned. "I think she bruised my ribs. She has a sharp one."

"You're still cute, but you're pretty knocked up too," Wally mused, pulling back his mask. "No offense."

"None taken," I mumbled before taking a sip of my drink, ignoring the pain. "Kevlar's good for explosions and bullets, but not direct attacks from pointy elbows."

In no time, we made it back to the Cave. Batman met us in the hangar and when he saw we had a captive to interrogate, he nodded for Green Lantern and Kid Flash to take him to the Hall of Justice.

He looked at me before saying, "Head to the infirmary. The rest of you in the Mission Room."

I groaned and walked off to the infirmary, slower than I'd like. My adrenaline had worn off during the flight and now I was just in pain.

Thankfully though, halfway to the infirmary, Green Arrow spotted me.

He let out a low whistle. "You looked really banged up, kid."

"I feel really banged up too," I retorted.

"Elbow to the ribs?" he inquired, walking over to me.

"Elbow and kick," I mumbled. "Then an elbow in the back."

"Better have Dinah take a look at you then," Green Arrow said, before walking over to me. He carefully lifted me up, and carried me to the infirmary.

"Bless you, Ollie," I sighed, relieved.

"That tends to happen when I have a pretty blonde in my arm," Green Arrow chuckled, turning down the hallway.

I let out a low laugh before groaning. "Don't make me laugh," I glowered.

"What happened here?" Black Canary asked after Green Arrow entered the infirmary with me in his arms.

He laid me on one of the beds and shrugged. "Dunno. I guess I'm about to find out though. Batman just called me for a debrief." He pointed behind him.

"Let's see your damage," Black Canary said once the archer left the room.

"I'm assuming I have a couple of bruised ribs and knuckles," I told her. Black Canary nodded and took out a device that resembled an x-ray machine, but it even checked our muscles. She scanned my body with it and it beeped once the information was done being processed.

"Looks like you're right," Black Canary nodded. "Hm… you have a pretty nasty bruise on the small of your back too. You know how to treat these injuries, right?"

"Wouldn't be my first," I replied.

Black Canary nodded. "Now, I'd say no activity for six weeks, but because of your well condition, it'll take about three weeks for you to fully heal. Until then, you're not allowed to do any missions. I'll give you some pain killers and remember to ice."

She helped me sit up and went to grab some pain killers, a piece of cloth, and ice. She handed me all three just as Batman walked in with Hal, Flash, Green Arrow, and Martian Manhunter.

"What's the damage?" Batman asked the female Justice League member.

"Bruised ribs, knuckles, and back," Black Canary replied.

"You're out for three weeks then," Batman concluded, looking at me while I iced my ribs.

"Pretty much," I agreed, nodding my head. "What about Dragonfly?"

"She is much worse than you," Martian Manhunter replied. "Two broken ribs, a broken nose, a cracked jaw, and a small concussion."

Flash let out a low whistle. "So was that you or the explosion?"

"Probably me," I concluded. "There was a crack when I uppercut her and then I punched her to knock her unconscious."

"Remind me not to piss you off," Flash grinned. I flashed my own smile at him before looking at Batman.

"You have something for me," he said shortly.

I extended a hand to him and he walked forward, opening the compartment in my glove before pulling out a small micro SD card. "It's what I have on H.I.V.E.," I reported. "I just copied everything."

"Team Alpha also encountered H.I.V.E.," Batman told us. "They encountered Deathstroke and a group known as Dark Nemesis."

"Dark Nemesis?" I repeated, confused. I've heard of Deathstroke, one of the world's greatest mercenaries. His secret identity's Slade Wilson, but I've never heard of Dark Nemesis.

"A group of mercenaries," Flash explained while Batman pulled out his com-phone. He showed a hologram of five strange-looking beings. "Their real names are unknown."

"But based on the intel Miss Martian managed to retrieve, they go by the names Axis, Blizzard, Carom, Scorcher, and Vault."

"I'm assuming they have powers," I stated, causing the Justice League members to nod.

"Axis, their leader, is psychokinetic, Blizzard is cryokinetic, and Scorcher is pyro and thermokinetic. Carom has super-speed and the power of flight, along with lightning fast reflexes and enhanced durability. Vault has a suit of armor that allows him to generate force fields and energy coils, as well as super strength and to identify weaknesses," Batman explained.

"Miss M's getting better at this intel gathering," I mused, taking off the ice from my ribs.

"But you're better," Batman said, turning off the holograms. "They're mercenaries. Find out who they're working for, and why. You're off missions for three weeks, but not out of commission."

"Aye, aye," I two-finger-saluted Batman. I climbed out of the infirmary bed and let out a groan. "Can't imagine how Dragonfly must feel. Are you off to interrogate her?"

"Yes," Manhunter replied, nodding his head patiently. "As soon as she is conscious."

"Good luck with that," I said, and patted Flash, since he was closest, on the way out before leaving the infirmary.

I walked to the lounge, a bit slower than usual, and found the rest of the Team and Garfield lounged around there.

"You look horrible," Conner commented, spotting me first.

"You should see the other person," I joked, falling back in-between Robin and Wally with a heavy sigh. I placed the ice I had on my ribs again and leaned back against the comfortable couch. I looked at the members of Team Alpha, "Heard you encountered some big, bad super-powered freaks."

"And Deathstroke," Kaldur nodded his head. "We managed to hold them off in time to gather some information before the Justice League arrived."

"Good job on that, by the way," I said, looking at M'gann. "It's nice to know the powers of who we're dealing with."

"Thanks," M'gann smiled sheepishly, a small hint of pink fluttering onto her cheeks.

"How long are you out?" Garth asked, leaning back in his seat casually, throwing an arm around Tula. "No offense, but Conner's right."

"None taken," I shook my head. "And I'm to not go on missions for three weeks."

Artemis looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Only _three_? I heard you had bruised ribs and knuckles."

"I do," I nodded. "But Batman's training allows me to heal faster than most people. Not as fast as you aliens and Atlanteans though."

"Ah, the wonders of accelerated healing," Garth grinned.

"Oh, shut up, Nemo," I frowned.

"She gets quirkier and quirkier every day," Wally said to Robin.

Robin shrugged and simply threw an arm around me, pulling me close to him carefully. "So you're on intel gathering duty until then?"

"Yeah," I replied, taking the ice off my ribs, leaning in closer to Robin. "I actually have to find out who hired Dark Nemesis."

"I heard Wonder Woman was training someone," Kyle said from where he sat, his feet propped on the coffee table in the center. "Some girl named Donna?"

"Donna Troy," Robin and I said at the same time.

The rest of the Team looked at us, but their faces weren't of shock.

"Should've known you two knew," Kyle mumbled, running his hand through his hair. "You guys know practically everything."

"She gonna join the Team?" Garfield asked, cocking his head to the side as his monkey tail swished.

"Not that we know of," Robin replied, shaking his head.

"We're gaining members left and right," Artemis commented. Then she looked at our newer additions and added, "Not that it's bad or anything. We need all the help we can get."

"You should see the Honorary Justice League member list," I commented.

"We have one?" Conner asked, his eyes full of confusion. "Since when did we have one of those?"

"Most of them are solo guys," Robin commented. "But they team-up with some of the Justice League members sometimes."

"Like who?" Zatanna inquired, cocking her head to the side, curiosity in her eyes.

"Elongated Man, Phantom Stranger, Firestorm, Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, The Question, Vixen, Katana, Stargirl…" I counted off with my fingers.

"Blue Beetle, Black Lightning, another Green Lantern, Vibe, Knight, Godiva, OMAC, and the founding members of the Team."

"We are?" Wally asked. "Sweet!"

"What's the point of _honorary_ members of the Justice League?" Conner inquired.

"Unlimited access to all Justice League information," Batman said, walking into the room. "Including being called for missions with the League. Zatanna, Rocket, Tempest, Aquagirl, and Green Lantern are still new, but soon they'll be given the privilege as well."

"Nothing we don't already know then," Zatanna quipped. Batman nodded curtly and tossed something towards me, to which I caught. It was the micro SD card.

"Thank you," I said, before Batman walked out of the room without another word.

"It freaks me out when you Bats do that," Wally groaned, hand over his chest. "How the _hell_ do you guys appear out of nowhere?"

"We're there the whole time," I turned to look at him, wrinkling my nose. "You just don't notice."

"No, you guys seriously sneak up on people," Raquel shook her head. "Are you guys ninjas?"

"Well, we _were_ trained in ninjutsu," Robin mused.

"Anything else you were trained in?" Raquel asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

"I think the question is what they _weren't_ train in," Zatanna piped in. Raquel looked at her friend before nodding in agreement.

"Um…" I thought about it. "No. I don't think so."

"Seduction," Wally grinned.

"I wouldn't call it _seduction_," I frowned. "After all, I'm only twelve."

"More like… _charming_?" Dick offered, and I nodded in agreement. "We can charm people for information."

"They're trained in everything," Wally concluded, nodding his head in finality.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading! Leave a review and don't forget to take my poll! :) Happy Thanksgiving, guys!


	4. Donna

**A/N:** It's been such a long time since I've updated. :c Remember how my laptop was stupid and deleted my stories? It officially crashed last week, so I had to order a new harddrive for my laptop and install it. ._. For the most part, I have the majority of my stuff back, but now my harddrive with my music's acting stupid. :c So I'm backing up everything right now as I type/post this. :P On the bright side? I'm off for the next two weeks. .w.

Now onto the reviews!

**Panda-Chan8:** Lol! Thank you! :) Really now (about the play)? That's interesting. It was just a random thought of mine. Hahah.  
**creamtherabbit77:** Thank you!  
**Xmidniteangel15X:** I don't play basketball. :3 I do stats for the boys' team. :) Yeah, I forget too. :P  
**lovinurbuks:** Thank you! :)  
**Haliston:** This series will focus on friendship, but I assure you, those Lovebirds moments won't be lacking! ;)  
**Sapphire Jade Eyes:** Awwwww. THANK YOU. :D You made me so happy.  
**LadyFelton1994:** Thank you! I'm sorry for going MIA after that. :c  
**piggythelaw:** Hahah. ;)  
**That dorky blonde:** You're welcome! :D Thank _you_ for reading!  
**bluepenquin1998:** Thank you! :D  
**goddess of the nigth:** It's okay. I took too long to update again anyway. ._.  
**Kamil the Awesome:** Well, yeah. Would Batman let them do what they do if they weren't? I have plans for those names. ;)  
**Kelly1432:** LOL. It's no prob! When I say I'll introduce someone, it means I'll introduce someone. ;) Hahah. Thank you. :)  
**bumblebee stinger 101:** Thank you! :D  
**Melissa Fairy:** Thank you!

**Q&A:  
**  
**_Xmidniteangel15X_ asks: (1) Are you doing early admissions for your college picks? (2) When you do more H.I.V.E. chapters, will the H.I.V.E. Five (from _Teen Titans_) make an appearance? (3) Can there be a moment when Verena gets possessive/jealous when it comes to Batman/Bruce Wayne because she's the only girl in the Wayne household? (4) You know in the show, they said Zatanna and Robin who's now Nightwing had a fling, are you going to make it seem like it never happened or make it a twist?**  
**(1)** Girl, I was too lazy to even do regular admissions for my schools. LOL. **(2)** The H.I.V.E. probably aren't gonna even show up again, except to wrap everything up. :P So probably no H.I.V.E. Five. Crossovers make everything more complicated for me. **(3)** What is with you people and having the characters jealous? I personally don't like that, so... maybe. :| **(4)** It'll probably never happen, because I have plans with someone else and that's _not_ Zatanna. Zatanna and Verena are good friends.

_**lovinurbuks**_** asks: Is Dragonfly gonna be an ally?  
**Nah. She was just a random character I added for progression's sake. I have no future plans for her.

And now onto the story! :o

* * *

**MOUNT JUSTICE  
****JULY 21, 2011  
****13:23 EDT**

I blocked out the sounds of grunting and thumps as I continued my research, digging up all I could from where I sat in the Mission Room. I glanced up from my research just in time to see Robin flip Tula over his back, pinning her to the ground before kicking Garth, making the Atlantean fly a few feet before being caught by Kaldur.

"_Recognized: Wonder Woman: Zero-Three."_

I glanced at the Zeta-Beam and the Amazon entered with a purpose. She headed to the computer on the side of the Zeta-Beam before it announced, _"Access Granted: Donna Troy: A-Zero-Four. Authorization: Wonder Woman: Zero-Three."_

The rest of the Team stopped their spar and we all watched as a tall, younger version of Wonder Woman stepped through the Zeta-Tube.

She had long, flowing black hair and dark blue eyes, which held nothing but confidence and self-assurance. She was dressed simply in a pair of black jeans and a white tank top, and when she brushed back a strand of her hair, I got a glimpse of her crescent moon earrings.

"Everyone," Wonder Woman began, looking at all of us, "this is Donna, my… _sister_ to make things easier. Donna, meet the Team: Robin, Miss Martian, Superboy, Artemis, Aqualad, Tempest, Aquagirl, Zatanna, Rocket, Green Lantern, Kid Flash, and Black Falcon."

"Well, that's not fair. They know my real name but I don't know theirs," Donna frowned, crossing her arms. In response to that, everyone began to introduce themselves with their real name, minus Robin and me.

"No real name?" she asked, looking at me.

I shook my head. "Batman's orders," I replied. "Our secret identities are a secret." I smiled at her. She wrinkled her nose, displeased, but nodded.

"Are you joining the Team?" Kyle asked, looking at the younger Amazon.

"Not yet," Wonder Woman replied for her protégée. "I just wanted to bring Donna here to show her how you all interact and work first."

"We are currently in a middle of a sparring session right now," Kaldur explained. "The Team is split into two groups, Team Alpha and Team Beta. The two teams are going against each other."

"It's kind of uneven right now though," Kyle informed. "Since Fal's out of commission and all." He jutted a thumb towards me.

"Two more weeks," I told the artist, before going back to my research. "I hate it as much as you do."

"I'm sure the Team will make you feel right at home," Wonder Woman said, patting her protégée's shoulder. "Now, I must take my leave, but feel free to come home any time you wish."

"Alright," Donna nodded, before Wonder Woman left the Cave.

"You can have a seat right next to Fal," Robin said, gesturing to where I was. I didn't bother looking up from my tablet, since she already knew where I was.

The next thing I knew, the fighting sounds resumed as a presence joined me.

"Why are you not sparring?" Donna inquired, standing next to me. "Do you not have to?"

"I got injured on a mission last week," I told her, narrowing my eyes at some encryptions I ran into. "Black Canary ordered me no strenuous activity for three weeks."

"Then what are you doing?" she asked me.

"I'm just doing some research Batman told me to do," I informed her. "Has Wonder Woman told you about H.I.V.E. and Dark Nemesis?" I looked up at the older girl.

"Only a little bit," she told me. "Di – Wonder Woman doesn't tell me much about her missions."

"I know her secret identity," I said, arching a brow at Donna. "You don't have to worry about correcting yourself around me. And it makes sense, since the League's missions _are_ mostly top secret."

"'Mostly'?" Donna asked curiously, looking at me questioningly.

I paused from my work, choosing to look at Donna. "Well… they _are_ a public group, so some of their missions _have_ been released to the public, of course."

"I… see…" Donna said, though I didn't really see that she saw it. Did that make sense? I nodded my head, nonetheless. "You're Black Falcon… Wonder Woman has told me about you."

"Good things, I hope," I joked, tossing her a smile. "I can't count the amount of times she's thrown me to the floor."

Donna didn't seem to catch my joke, because she said, "They were nothing but praises." She frowned and went on, "She always said to be more like you. Which I don't understand, because I'm _obviously_ much more superior than a human like you."

Um… _okay_? How was I supposed to respond to that?

"_Recognized: Red Arrow: Two-One."_

I instead chose to turn to the new entry, glad for a distraction. Though when I saw the redhead, I frowned, noting his appearance.

Roy did _not_ look happy as he entered the room, that much was obvious. He must've hit another dead end with his search for Speedy.

"Hey," I greeted the redhead casually.

He gave a curt nod before noticing the dark-haired female right next to me. "Another one?" Ah, he was referring to the fact that the Team's member roster has grown quite considerably in the past few months.

"Wonder Woman's," I replied. "Donna, meet Red Arrow. Vice versa."

"Hi," Donna greeted, and I immediately noticed the change in her tone. I looked at her curiously and saw her looking up at Roy through her lashes, the corner of her mouth curling.

"Hey," Roy answered gruffly. He took a seat on the left armrest, before leaning back in the seat, sighing heavily.

"When's the last time you slept?" I asked, looking at him. He looked at me from underneath his dark glasses, so I could see his emerald orbs, along with the bags under his eyes. I glared at him through my sunglasses.

"Don't give me that look," he mumbled, before looking away from me. He looked at Donna and asked, "So are you joining the Team?"

I frowned at him changing the subject and overall ignoring me, but I'd get him later. Instead, I turned back to my research, finding out what I could on Dark Nemesis and The Veil, who hired them.

"Most likely," Donna replied. "Wonder Woman left me here to get to know the Team better."

"You'll like them," Roy told her.

"What makes you so sure?"

"Well, despite the Team's… _eccentricity_ at times, they're nice guys," Roy explained. "Once you're their friend, they'll stick with you, good or bad. Fal, don't you _dare_ repeat this to the rest of them."

"Don't need to," I replied casually. "I know you're a major softie." I tossed a toothy grin at the male archer. "You act all big and tough, but you're just squishy." I poked him. Okay, maybe not in the literal sense. His abs were rock hard.

He slapped my hand away, but I just kept smiling at him. He sighed, defeated. "By the way, I'm injured," I reminded him. "You shouldn't further injure me."

"Like a little slap like that could actually hurt you," Roy commented sarcastically. "I know you. I know your limits. I'd never do anything that'd actually _hurt_ you."

"Aw, you're so sweet," I cooed, reaching to hug him. I ignored my ribs and wrapped my arms around him, digging my face into his chest. His spicy cinnamon scent filled my nose and I snuggled into him.

"Y-you're unbelievable," Roy sighed, hugging me back.

"Trying to steal my girl, Harper?" Robin's voice teased as it got closer. The training session must've wrapped up, because I heard some shuffling as some went to take showers while others joined us.

"I'd never," Roy replied in a joking tone, but I felt some weight in his words. My eyebrows wrinkled in confusion as Robin pulled me away from the archer. They were giving each other knowing looks, but I was still in the dark. What…?

"We should totally give you a tour of the Cave!" Zatanna exclaimed, looking at Donna.

"I would've offered earlier, but it took quite some effort to sit down," I told her. "I'll deal with this testosterone mess." I gestured to Kyle, Roy, Wally, and Robin.

"I don't think anyone else can," Artemis rolled her eyes. She looked at Donna and explained, "Fal's got this weird control over these guys. They're like, scared of her."

"You aren't scared of me, Artemis?" I cocked my head to the side, looking at the blonde archer.

The blonde looked thoughtful for a moment, "I've always been on your good side. Let's keep it that way." She flashed me a smile, which made my lips curl. "C'mon, Donna."

Once the girls left the room, I leaned back, sighing heavily. "Nothing?" I asked, looking at Roy.

The older redhead shook his head. "Dead end. I searched through pretty much all of Tibet and still nothing."

"Roy," Dick started sympathetically, "Speedy's been missing for almost four years. Chances of survival are slim to none."

"We're just not looking hard enough!" Roy snapped at Dick. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I-I just _know_ he's out there… _alive_… somewhere. Don't tell me you all have given up." He looked at each and every one of us.

"It's not _that_," Wally sighed, taking his mask off. "It's more like… we're searching for _you_ in an essence."

"To us, you've _always_ been Speedy, not some knock-up clone that you claim to be," I looked at Roy. "You're the only Roy Harper we know, so stop insisting that you're _not_ our friend."

"We're doing all we can to look for him," Dick assured. "But… stop beating yourself up."

"By the way, you look like crap," Kyle added in his own two cents. The rest of us nodded in agreement. Roy gave us all a half-hearted glare, before sighing.

He rubbed his chin, which had a day's worth of stubble, and frowned. "I should probably go shower, and shave," he mumbled, mostly to himself.

"And sleep while you're at it," Wally piped in. "In that order: shower, shave, sleep. Heh. Cool alliteration." We all rolled our eyes at the speedster, who looked at us before frowning. "_What_? It _is_."

"This isn't English class, West," Kyle said, looking down at the younger boy.

"Thank God," Wally sighed out. "I _hated_ my English teacher. Sometimes I think English teachers look into the texts a bit _too_ much."

I rolled my eyes at how off-topic we had gotten. "Go home," I told Roy. "Get some rest."

"I could use some rest too," Kyle groaned, stretching. He then paused and pulled out his phone. He grimaced slightly and ignored the call before putting it back into his pocket.

"Who was that?" Wally asked before I could.

"Alex," Kyle explained, frowning slightly.

Dick cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. "You sure it's alright to ignore a call from your girlfriend?"

"Ex," Kyle corrected. "She broke up with me last week. She's been calling me non-stop for the past couple of days."

I frowned. "Why would she break up with you?" Kyle's a great guy. He was funny, artistic, and always there for you. Yeah, his vigilante activities took him away from some time off, but _all_ of us had that problem. Maybe it was because she didn't know. "Is it because of our job?"

Kyle shook his head. "Said I was too _childish_. What the hell is that all about?"

"You should use Ren to scare her off," Roy commented, gesturing towards me. "She makes a good female-repellant."

"_What_?" all of us asked, looking at the archer, confused.

Roy rolled his eyes. "Not like a _pretend girlfriend_, dumbasses. I'm talking about just being _there_. Girls are _really_ insecure, and when they get a taste of how independent, smart, and full of inside jokes Ren is, they'll back off."

Kyle turned to me, looking at me with his forest green eyes that were a close shade to my own. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well… you _could_ be a really good bitch."

"Did you just say my _girlfriend_ is a _good_ belligerent, unreasonable, malicious, rudely intrusive, arrogant, and/or aggressive female in a denigrating term?" Dick questioned.

"Dude, did you just _hear_ how Kyle's words could have a double meaning?" Wally asked, looking at his best friend. "And all you're wondering is how she's good at _acting_ like a bitch?"

I rolled my eyes. "You guys have foul mouths."

"Comes with the job," they all responded. Huh, it _was_ true. I mean, we worked with _criminals_. What were we going to ask them, 'Please come with us silently?' No. We go, 'I'll give you three seconds to surrender before I beat your ass.' Or we just don't wait and proceed with the kicking of the ass.

"Your thoughts are really weird," Dick looked down at me. His hand that was on my side moved down so they were resting on my hip.

"I hate it when you two have that stupid Lovebird connection-thing," Wally grumbled. I looked at him strangely. "What? It's not a psychic link, so it's some Lovebird connection."

"Your logic sometimes makes no sense," I concluded.

"I believe science is the answer to everything, not logic. Science is ever-changing," Wally replied diplomatically.

"I'm getting out of here before it gets even weirder," Roy concluded. "I'll see you all later." We said our goodbyes to him, and Roy headed to the Zeta-Tube.

"_Recognized: Red Arrow: Two-One."_

"I'm heading out too," Kyle sighed. "Come over any time and bitch out at my ex, alright?" He ruffled my hair and kissed the top of my head before leaving.

"_Recognized: Green Lantern: B-One-Three."_

"You heading over to our place or you going home?" Dick asked, looking over at our speedster friend.

"I'm gonna hang out with Artemis a bit," Wally grinned. "See you two later." Without waiting for a reply, he dashed off.

Dick squeezed my hand, making me look up at him curiously. "Shall we?" he inquired, gesturing to the Zeta-Tubes. He led me over to one of them before inserting in our destination and we stepped through.

"_Recognized: Robin: B-Zero-One. Black Falcon: B-Zero-Two."_

We stepped into the Batcave, and sighed. Another boring day. I hated being out of work.

"You're one of the few people I know to actually _want_ to go to work," Bruce commented from where he sat in front of the Batcomputer. He was observing some a video feed, and I stood behind him.

"Facial recognition says it's Catwoman," I read the information, when the screen zoomed in on a buxom blonde.

"She's after the next jewel exhibition this weekend," Bruce explained. An image of a dark, intimidating jewel appeared on the screen. "The Cat's Eye."

"That just _screams_ her name," Dick commented, sipping a cup of milk that Alfred had given him. "You want us to take care of it?"

"I will," Bruce shook his head. "It's not like Verena can do much anyway." I narrowed my eyes and looked at my adoptive father. He raised a brow back at me challengingly. I harrumphed and walked away, heading up the stairs and out of the Batcave.

I didn't hear Dick's footsteps behind me, and knew that he was just changing out of his uniform. He'd find me later.

Instead of heading to my room, I made a beeline towards Dick's. I pushed open the door and then entered, leaving the door wide open.

I walked over to the bed and climbed on top of it after kicking off my boots, ignoring the pain of my ribs being stretched as I did so. Shut up, ribs. I'm going to fluffy heaven for you guys.

I snuggled into the bed sheets, taking in the pine and mint scent of Dick that was slightly mixed with my sunshine and vanilla.

I felt his presence before I heard him, but I didn't pull myself away from the sheets. "You're practically having a love affair with my sheets," Dick commented amusedly.

"I could be without you realizing it," I replied back, my voice muffled.

"You better not," Dick teased, before I felt him climb onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to his chest. I couldn't see, because my face was still buried in the sheets, but I felt him close around me.

I poked my head out from underneath the sheets and looked up at him. He smirked back at me, leaning down so our noses were touching. "There's my little groundhog." He gave me an Eskimo kiss, and I beamed.

I moved and then angled my head before giving him a peck on the lips. When I pulled back, he quirked an eyebrow at me. I was smiling so hard I felt my cheeks begin to sore, and that was when Dick climbed over me and then pinned me to the bed.

I let out a laugh that was abruptly cut off when he kissed me. I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him down towards me, wanting to get closer to him.

I felt the sheets from under me tug slightly and I wondered what that was about. I pulled away just in time for something long and soft to climb onto me, effectively keeping Dick away from me.

Dick leaned back so he was kneeling. He frowned at the furry creature and asked, "Really, Andrei?"

Andrei simply cocked his head at Dick before nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. I giggled softly before reaching up and stroking Andrei's small head.

Dick heaved out an exaggerated heavy sigh before making me scoot over in the bed. I did so and he lied down beside me. He circled an arm around me and was about to scoot me even closer to him, when Andrei climbed off of me, going in-between Dick and me.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me," Dick mumbled out.

Andrei looked up at Dick lazily before resting his head on my shoulder. My pet looked at me with wide, cute eyes and I couldn't help but coo before moving my arm from around Dick to Andrei.

"Should've gotten her a cat or something," Dick mumbled, but I pretended not to hear him, cuddling with Andrei instead. "Hey, V."

"Who's a cute little ferret?" I cooed, reaching to tickle his stomach. Andrei dooked happily and squirmed, but still remained on his side.

"_V_~" Dick almost-whined. Actually, I think he's whining right now. God, I have the most adorable boyfriend ever. I continued to pretend to ignore him, focusing on my pet ferret. "_V_~"

I snuggled my face into Andrei's warm body, before I felt the sudden heat disappear. I sat up curiously, wondering what was going on.

Andrei was squirming as Dick held him up in the air by the back of his neck. Andrei let out a squeaking sound of protest, but it went ignored as Dick stood up from the bed. He walked over to the open door and said to Andrei, "Go hunt some rats. I think I saw a couple yesterday."

Without another word, Dick placed Andrei on the ground before closing the door.

My boyfriend turned around, his face quite triumphant.

"Should you really be proud you kicked my ferret out?" I inquired, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Were you _that_ jealous of Andrei?"

He arched a brow at me and sauntered towards me slowly, yet deliberately. He climbed onto the bed and over me, leaning down at me so closely that I could feel his hot, minty breath against me as he took slow, deep breaths.

"So what if I _was_ jealous of the little weasel?" Dick inquired. "You're _my_ girlfriend." He leaned down, closing the short distance between us, placing his soft lips over mine.

I automatically wrapped my arms around his neck and he reached to cradle my face. I smiled into the kiss before my eyes fluttered shut, content.

* * *

**A/N:** Usually I'm in a good mood after posting, but I'm just so fed up with all the problems my laptop's dealing with. Drop a review to make me feel better? .w.


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